Gathering
by Deandra
Summary: Lothiriel muses on the character of her family. Fluffy little ONESHOT. Part 158 of the Elfwine Chronicles.


_**Part 158 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes.**_

**Gathering**

**(May, 15 IV)**

Lothiriel made her way down the hall, drying her hair with a towel as she walked. It was not often that Eomer had much free time to spend with his family, especially during the course of the day, but after the midday meal, he had gathered his brood in his study for the brief period available to him. The children always welcomed an opportunity to be with their father, and had gladly joined him, so Lothiriel had seized the opportunity to get her hair washed and left them in Eomer's care.

Upon opening the door to the study, she came to a halt at the sight that met her eyes. When she had gone on her errand, Eomer had been wrestling about on the floor with the younger children, but now he lay sprawled on his stomach napping. It struck her how telling was the position of his brood sleeping around him.

Laying next to Eomer in almost an identical pose to his father was Elfwine. The boy loved Eomer fiercely and always sought to emulate him, both consciously and unconsciously. Each had their arms crossed to act as a pillow for their heads and she smiled at the pair. Though their temperaments differed somewhat, and Elfwine was often far more earnest than his sire, he was becoming as fine a man as Eomer was, and no doubt would be an equally effective king.

Their eldest daughter, on the other hand, had placed herself with her head laying between her beloved father and older brother, and had a hand resting on each of them. These were the two she adored most in life; indeed, Lothiriel was sure she was only third on Theodwyn's list of favored people. Unable to choose between them, she had struck the balance of being equally near to them both, and Lothiriel smiled with tenderness at her steadfast daughter. Theodwyn loved both family and life with a fierceness akin to that of her aunt Eowyn.

And then there was her youngest son. He had taken up position laying splayed on Eomer's back. This amiable child who could get along well with anyone demonstrated his ability to be comfortable anywhere by his choice of location. He would never be quite like his siblings, she suspected, as already he was revealing an independent streak. Theomund saw things in his own way and acted accordingly. It would be interesting to see what path he followed in life.

Separate from the group bedded down on the floor was little Morwen. Even at just a year old she was a clean and fastidious child. She had pulled a blanket down from the couch and made a bed for herself upon it, unwilling to sleep upon a dirty floor. She slept somewhat apart from her parent and siblings, and Lothiriel did not think she would ever be quite like her brothers and sister in sensibility. It was hoped that in time she would prove more sociable than now, but regardless, the family loved her dearly as one of their own. Let her be quiet and wary of strangers for now; she had many willing to watch over and protect her.

The smile on Lothiriel's lips lit her eyes as she leaned her head against the doorframe. She had been blessed with a lovely little family, and she cherished each of them for their uniqueness. _Eadig._ The Rohirrim had given Eomer that name as king, and while she thought it quite apt for all the good that had come to Rohan under his leadership, she also thought it suited him personally. Who could witness such a scene as this and not count him blessed?

THE END

9/26/07

Eomer 44, Lothiriel 36, Elfwine 14, Theodwyn 7, Theomund 5, Morwen 1

_**End note: **__** It is best that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written.**__** The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order, but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.**_


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